Why the loss of amphibians matters

Amphibians matter to humans more than we mean to them. The number of amphibians has been plummeting at an incredibly rapid rate, and this decline poses a great threat. Save The Frogs reports that since 1980, 200 species of frogs have disappeared. These extinctions are due to many factors, including chytrid fungus , herbicides and general pollution. The canary in the coal mine Those numbers matter because a major decline in the amphibian population can cause a major decline in the health and sustainability of our ecosystem as a whole, and a deteriorating ecosystem means the deterioration of the quality of human life. Amphibians can help us in numerous ways — from assessing the general health of our ecosystems, to pest control, water filtration and medical research. Their greatest contribution is that they serve as "bioindicators" for scientists — markers that allow scientis...